Criticism really can be a good thing
I recently was bashed a bit by a reader that critiqued a post I did that had a grammatical error. For whatever reason he felt the need to leave a mean (and anonymous) comment. Of course he was right, I had made a pretty lame error, but it was his exact comment that made me think. He said he was unlikely to take writing advice from someone that made the error I made (it was just a run on sentence, I’m notorious for these, like this one time, when my Aunt said she wanted to be a professional barista, so she could learn more poetry and have her favorite drink all at the same time, but grandpa was all like, no way, but she….).
The first thing I thought was, ‘when on earth have I offered writing advice?’. Never. I highly doubt I’ll win a Peabody anytime soon, and that’s fine with me. This blog isn’t about writing, it’s about taking your writing and making something of it. Make some money. Get more readers. Things like that. What you, as my readers, do with what I say is up to you. But please, don’t ever let me clame to teech you writing.
Now, on to the point of this post in the first place. Like I said above it got me to thinkin’ about what it is to be a blogger and what skills are really needed to be successful. It actually reminds me of an interview I recently did where I gave the same advice I’m giving in this post.
The tricks of the trade - the list
Here are the skills I think prospective bloggers need to have to be successful - in order of importance.
- Internet marketing skills
I recommend anyone looking to be successful as a blogger go read a book or two on internet marketing. There are soooo many ways to generate traffic, build a brand, and so on. Knowing how to market online is the first things you’ll need to know. - HTML/web/graphic design
It’s a HUGE advantage to have a solid set of general design skills. My advice: learn all you can about creating things meant to be displayed on the internet in as many formats as you can (HTML/java/php/images/layout/etc.). - General sense of business. Managing funds, ad campaigns, taxes, and so on. Designing a solid business model/plan.
- Layout skills. One skill that many people miss is the actual layout on the page. Including good graphics, headlines, generally breaking up the page so it’s optically appealing is key.
- Writing skills. You should have a general grasp of writing skills, but more than just proper writing (grammar, spelling, etc.) you need to be creative and fun.
That’s it. The fact is, I think people that are really good with marketing and design, will always do better than people with the best writing skill on earth… So if you’re an awesome writer, but lack the other skills above - focus your energy on learning them. It will help you in unmeasurable amounts. And if you’re an awesome internet marketer with kick ass design skills - you just need to start doing your post in English, even bad English - you’ll be fine…
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7 responses so far ↓
1 Elle // Mar 29, 2008 at 2:30 am
There’s another good post to do — how to comment on blogs! Being the OCD English & spelling stickler I am, I usually sweetly and discreetly mention little oopsies to folks I frequent. All with the disclaimer that they are free to delete me when said oopsie gets fixed. Kind of the Internet equivalent of your best friend pointing out the spinach in your teeth.
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Ty Hurd reply on March 29, 2008:
I actually appreciate it when people call out my errors. Most of the time people are quite pleasant about it and I’m thankful for the help. It’s just when the comments are worded in an insulting nature that it gets my goat…
I’ve even though of starting a community of bloggers who’s sole purpose is to proof each others posts. Lord know I could use it! lol
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2 bloggista // Mar 29, 2008 at 2:36 am
Well, especially us non-english speakers, writing especially using the English language is always a challenge. I know lots of us Filipinos are excellent English speakers and writers, but I don’t belong to that group. Should that be a reason for me not to blog at all? No. Blogging gives me the chance, real chance to write my thoughts, and in the process, hone my skills in writing. Hopefully, soon, I should be improving the way I write and the way I used the English language ‘correctly’.
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Ty Hurd reply on March 29, 2008:
Hey bloggista, I hope you weren’t offended by the English remark I made. I certainly didn’t mean it in a negative way. Just to emphasize that writing skills really are the last thing to worry about (but not forgotten entirely).
Keep up the good work on your blog!
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3 sebastiano // Mar 29, 2008 at 9:05 am
Hi Ty,
Article is great ones again, I hit 3 out of 5 on your list I lack in the first and the last one.. anyway , I think it would be really nice to see an article about each list entry.. just my 2 cents!
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Ty Hurd reply on March 29, 2008:
Hey Sebastiano,
Not to worry - both can be learned. Just make sure you’re proactive and are really directing your energy in learning something new everyday.
And I do have something to add to this post. While writing is not the most important thing, it is important. Content is king and will decide whether or not your posts are successful on sites like StumbleUpon.com and so on. The posts doesn’t have to be perfectly written, but it does have to have meaningful content. The actual content is very important, how well it’s written isn’t as important. Just be sure to bare that in mind!
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4 Eric // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:11 am
Hi Ty,
A first look at someone’s site keeps me on the site or makes sure I’m leaving as fast as I can. Design of a site is one of the most important things to catch your visitors. And if you write good articles on a good designed site, your visitors will turn into readers that’ll come back regularly.
Great post!
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